Wed, May 7 Sapporo visiting Otaru, Japan

We moved to a different room tied to our tour reservation, it’s tiny. So we’re looking at it like we’re on a cruise. 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/8663407@N07/8q39yHM10V 

Note on the pics: start just past the green clock tower

Our tour group met at 9 am to board the bus to Otaru. Otaru is a harbor town near Sapporo, known for herring fishing. There are canals and warehouses from the colonization of 1880s. We had a stroll along the canal and then downtown. 

There was plenty of public art and food displays.  We visited the music box museum (& shop).  There was a display of a large music box that seemed like a player piano.  Then we sat in a music box whilst it played.  There were (creepy) dolls and clowns also on display.  Kind of a Victorian-era display.

Across the street was a steam-powered clock.  It chimes on the quarter hour with steam blasts and music.  It is a sister to the one in Vancouver Gastown, which we have seen & heard many times.

We also had some fabulous ice cream.  Hokkaido, the northernmost island we’ve been visiting, is known for their dairy. The milk and yogurt for breakfast was outstanding.  

We walked out to a park on the ocean front and along the way we spotted these green barrels with bags of gravel inside on each end of an arched bridge. We’re guessing it is used for traction in the snow. We did see them again later on other roads near a hill. 

Lastly we visited a mansion, Aoyama Villa.  Built by a wealth fisherman. (I called it what the Japanese called it, herring mansion, but Tom changed it.)  No pictures allowed inside only the tourist lobby, flowers on the ceiling.

We wanted to have dinner last night at an udon (noodles) place our tour guide suggested but it was closed, we’re guessing because of Golden Week.   We were all happy when we got back in time today so we could go there.  It was a great night for soup and it was yummy!

Tomorrow we take a train to Hakodate, south of Hokkaido.